Chapter 13 Terms and Definitions

Corrupt Bargain: Jacksonians' name for the 1824 deal in which Henry Clay's support helped elect John Quincy Adams in the House, after which Adams named Clay secretary of state.
Spoils System: The practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs, embraced by Jackson under the slogan "to the victor belong the spoils."
Tariff of Abominations: Southerners' name for the high protective Tariff of 1828, which they believed enriched northern industry at the South's expense.
Nullification: The states'-rights doctrine, championed by John C. Calhoun, that a state could declare a federal law null and void within its borders.
Force Bill: An 1833 law authorizing President Jackson to use the U.S. military to enforce federal tariff collection in South Carolina.
Compromise Tariff of 1833: Henry Clay's measure that gradually lowered tariff rates, helping resolve the Nullification Crisis.
Second Bank of the United States: The national bank that Jackson distrusted as a tool of the wealthy elite and ultimately destroyed in the "Bank War."
Pet Banks: State banks that received federal deposits after Jackson withdrew funds from the Second Bank of the United States.
Specie Circular: An 1836 order requiring that public land be purchased with hard currency (gold or silver) rather than paper money, aimed at curbing speculation.
Panic of 1837: A severe economic depression that struck soon after Martin Van Buren took office, partly rooted in Jackson's banking policies.
Indian Removal Act: An 1830 law authorizing the forced relocation of eastern Native American tribes to territory west of the Mississippi River.
Worcester v. Georgia: An 1832 Supreme Court case in which Chief Justice Marshall ruled in favor of Cherokee sovereignty — a decision Jackson refused to enforce.
Trail of Tears: The brutal forced march of the Cherokee and other tribes to Indian Territory in 1838, during which thousands died.
Alamo: The Texan mission-fortress where Santa Anna's army wiped out its American defenders in 1836, becoming a rallying cry for Texan independence.
Battle of San Jacinto: The 1836 battle in which Sam Houston's forces defeated and captured Santa Anna, securing Texan independence.
Democrats: Andrew Jackson's political party, favoring states' rights, limited government, and the interests of the "common man."
Whigs: The political party that arose in opposition to Jackson, generally favoring the American System and active federal development.
Log Cabin Campaign: The 1840 Whig presidential campaign that portrayed William Henry Harrison as a humble frontiersman, pioneering modern mass-appeal politics.